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Thousands rally at US Embassy in Cuba against trade embargo

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  • Thousands rally at US Embassy in Cuba against trade embargo
  • December 21, 2024
  • Article Body Text HAVANA — <p>Thousands of Cubans joined a protest Friday in front of the U.S. Embassy in Havana that was led by President Miguel Diaz-Canel and ex-leader Raul Castro against Washington's long-standing trade blockade.</p> <p>&quot;We are marching now to tell the U.S. government to let the Cuban people live in peace. Down with interference!&quot; Diaz-Canel told a crowd that had gathered a month before Republican Donald Trump returns to the White House.</p> <p>Communist Cuba is enduring a worsening economic crisis that the government blames on U.S. sanctions that have been in place since 1962 and were tightened during Trump's first term.</p> <p>&quot;If we didn't have the blockade, we would not be facing difficulty like this,&quot; said 85-year-old retiree Faustino Miranda.</p> <p>The Caribbean nation faces a lack of food and medicine, frequent blackouts and a wave of emigration.</p> <p>Rogelio Savigne, 55, head of transport at a state-owned company, told AFP: &quot;We need them to open the doors for us to be able to trade with all countries.&quot;</p> <p>Authorities said that 700,000 people marched in the capital on Friday. AFP was not able to independently verify that number.</p> <p>Former president Castro, 93, stood at the head of the march along with Diaz-Canel, who earlier Friday had blamed the U.S. embargo for making this year &quot;one of the most difficult&quot; for Cuba.</p> <p>On Tuesday, the country's deputy foreign minister reiterated its willingness to enter into a dialogue with Trump, who will take office on Jan. 20.</p> <p>During his first term, Trump halted an easing of relations between Washington and Havana that began in 2014.</p> <p>He implemented 243 measures that reinforced the embargo, including the reincorporation of the island into the U.S. blacklist of &quot;countries that sponsor terrorism,&quot; alongside Iran and North Korea.</p> <p>Current U.S. President Joe Biden has kept Cuba on that list but resumed discussions with Havana on counterterrorism and combating illegal migration. </p>
  • Content Type Text
  • Language English
  • NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
  • Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
  • Network VOA
  • Embargo Date December 20, 2024 22:54 EST
  • Byline Agence France-Presse
  • Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English
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